Method and apparatus to monitor and control a water system

ABSTRACT

A system for providing treated water includes a water treatment unit including an inlet water quality probe, a worker bed, a probe to measure a parameter of water from the worker bed, a polisher bed connected downstream from the worker bed and having a probe to measure a parameter of water from the polisher bed, and a flow meter upstream of the worker bed or downstream of the polisher bed. A controller in communication with the flow meter and the probes is configured to receive data from same. A remote server in communication with the local water treatment unit is configured to receive data from the local water treatment unit. The controller or the server may determine a cumulative flow total, a billing cycle flow total, a current exchange flow total, a contaminant load, or a remaining capacity of the water treatment unit.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. PatentApplication Ser. No. 62/571,521, titled “METHOD AND APPARATUS TO MONITORAND CONTROL A WATER SYSTEM”, filed on Oct. 12, 2017, which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND Field of Disclosure

Aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are directed generally tomethods and apparatus for monitoring, controlling, and maintaining watertreatment systems.

Discussion of Related Art

Flow meters, conductivity and resistivity meters, temperature sensors,pH sensors and hydrogen sulfide sensors, for example, along with otherscientific instruments are widely used in many remote locations for avariety of purposes including monitoring the condition of a waterpurification system. It is often necessary for workmen to physicallyvisit the remote sites to monitor the flow meters or other instruments(e.g., samplers) to gather data. Multiple site visits in numerouslocations is a challenging, labor intensive, and expensive task.Ensuring that each site is operational, and that maintenance or serviceis regularly scheduled provides for obtaining accurate and reliabledata.

SUMMARY

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure there is provideda system for providing treated water. The system comprises a local watertreatment unit including an inlet water quality probe disposed tomeasure at least one inlet water parameter of feedwater to be treated,the inlet water quality probe including a conductivity sensor and atemperature sensor, a worker bed having ion exchange media containedtherein, and disposed to receive the feedwater to be treated, a workerprobe disposed to measure at least one worker water parameter of waterfrom the worker bed, the worker probe including a worker conductivitysensor and a worker temperature sensor, a polisher bed having ionexchange media contained therein, and fluidly connected downstream fromthe worker bed, and a polisher probe disposed to measure at least onepolisher water parameter of water from the polisher bed, the polisherprobe including a polisher conductivity sensor and a polishertemperature sensor. A flow meter is positioned at least one of upstreamof the worker bed and downstream of the polisher bed and is configuredto measure flow data of water introduced into the first local watertreatment unit. A controller is in communication with the flow meter,the inlet water quality probe, the worker probe, and the polisher probe,the controller configured to receive the flow data from the flow meter,the at least one measured inlet water parameter from the inlet waterquality probe, the at least one worker water parameter from the workerprobe, and the at least one polisher water parameter from the polisherprobe. A server is remote from and in communication with the local watertreatment unit, the server configured to receive from the local watertreatment unit, at least one of the flow data, the at least one measuredinlet water parameter, the at least one worker water parameter, and theat least one polisher water parameter. At least one of the controllerand the server is further configured to determine at least one of acumulative flow total based on an aggregate of the flow data, a billingcycle flow total based on the flow data during a billing cycle throughthe local water treatment unit, a current exchange flow total based onthe flow data during a current service period of the worker bed, acontaminant load based on the at least one inlet water parameter, and aremaining capacity of the local water treatment unit based at least onthe contaminant load.

In some embodiments, the system further comprises a second local watertreatment unit including a second inlet water quality probe disposed tomeasure at least one inlet water parameter of a second feedwater to betreated in the second local water treatment unit, the second inlet waterquality probe including a second conductivity sensor and a secondtemperature sensor, a second worker bed having ion exchange mediacontained therein, and disposed to receive the second feedwater to betreated, a second worker probe disposed to measure at least one waterparameter of water from the second worker bed, the second worker probeincluding a second worker conductivity sensor and a second workertemperature sensor, a second polisher bed having ion exchange mediacontained therein, and fluidly connected downstream from the secondworker bed, and a second polisher probe disposed to measure at least onepolisher water parameter of water from the second polisher bed, thesecond polisher probe including a second polisher conductivity sensorand a second polisher temperature sensor. A second flow meter ispositioned at least one of upstream the second worker bed and downstreamof the second polisher bed and configured to measure flow data of waterintroduced into the second local water treatment unit. A secondcontroller is in communication with the second flow meter, the secondinlet water quality probe, the second worker probe, and the secondpolisher probe, the second controller configured to receive the flowdata from the second flow meter, the at least one measured inlet waterparameter from the second inlet water quality probe, the at least oneworker water parameter from the second worker probe, and the at leastone polisher water parameter from the second polisher probe.

In some embodiments, the second water treatment unit is remote from andin communication with the server, the server further configured toreceive from the second local water treatment unit, at least one of theflow data from the second flow meter, the at least one measured inletwater parameter from the second inlet water quality probe, the at leastone worker water parameter from the second worker probe, and the atleast one polisher water parameter from the second polisher probe.

In some embodiments, one of the second controller and the server isconfigured to determine at least one of a cumulative flow total of thesecond water treatment unit based on an aggregate of the flow datathrough the water second water treatment unit, a second billing cycleflow total based on the flow data during a second billing cycle throughthe second water treatment unit, a current exchange flow total based onthe flow data during a current service period of the second worker bed,a second contaminant load based on the at least one inlet waterparameter of the second feedwater, and a remaining capacity of thesecond local water treatment unit based at least on the secondcontaminant load.

In some embodiments, the local water treatment unit further includes aninlet pressure sensor disposed to monitor a pressure of the feedwater tothe water treatment unit and an outlet pressure sensor disposed tomonitor a pressure of the treated water from the water treatment unit,and wherein the controller is further configured to receive inletpressure data from the inlet pressure sensor and outlet pressure datafrom the outlet pressure sensor and generate an alarm if a difference inthe pressure of the feedwater relative to the pressure of the treatedwater is above a differential pressure setpoint. In still otherembodiments, the water treatment unit further includes a pre-filter, oran upstream filtration unit operation, such as a bag filter, disposedupstream of the ion exchange media in the water treatment unit. Thefirst inlet pressure sensor can be, in such still other embodiments,disposed upstream of the pre-filter and the outlet pressure sensor canbe disposed downstream from the pre-filter. The controller can thus befurther configured to receive the pressure data and generate an alarm ifthe difference across the pre-filter is above a predetermined uppervalue or below a predetermined lower value.

In some embodiments, the local water treatment unit further includes aleak detect module disposed to detect if a leak or moisture from thetreatment unit, and wherein the controller is further configured togenerate an indication if the leak detection module detects moisture inthe enclosure. In some embodiments, the leak detect module includes asensor disposed externally or outside of but proximate the enclosure ofthe unit but on a floor upon which the water treatment unit is set.

In some embodiments, the controller further comprises a Bluetooth®interface operatively configured to wirelessly transmit data over apersonal area network.

In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a method forproviding treated water for a predetermined period of time. The methodcomprises treating water in a water treatment unit during thepredetermined period of time to produce treated water, during thepredetermined period of time, measuring a volume of the provided treatedwater utilizing a sensor positioned in the water treatment unit, duringthe predetermined period of time, monitoring a parameter of water to betreated in the water treatment unit utilizing a water quality sensorpositioned in the water treatment unit, calculating a difference betweenthe measured volume of the provided treated water during thepredetermined period of time and a baseline volume of treated water tobe provided during the predetermined period of time, and determining afee adjustment for providing the treated water based on the calculateddifference between the measured volume of the provided treated water andthe baseline volume of treated water to be provided.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises predicting a remainingservice life of the water treatment unit based on at least one of themeasured volume of the provided treated water provided during thepredetermined period of time and the monitored parameter, and whereinthe monitored parameter relates to a conductivity of the water to betreated.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises determining acumulative volume of treated water provided by the water treatment unit,and determining a remaining service life of the water treatment unitbased at least on the cumulative volume of treated water and on themonitored parameter during the predetermined period of time.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises determining acumulative volume of treated water provided by the water treatment unit,and determining a remaining service life of the water treatment unitbased at least on the cumulative volume of treated water and a treatmentcapacity of the water treatment unit.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises scheduling service ofthe water treatment unit if the remaining service life is less than aservice-initiating life of the water treatment unit.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises calculating an averageof the value of the monitored parameter of the water to be treatedduring the predetermined period of time and utilizing the average valueof the monitored parameter as the actual value of the monitoredparameter in the act of determining the fee adjustment.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises monitoring a parameterof the provided treated water, and, if the monitored parameter of theprovided treated water is outside of a desired range, performing atleast one of: generating an alarm, sending a notification to a user, andscheduling service of the water treatment unit.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises monitoring pressureacross the water treatment unit and initiating service of the watertreatment unit if the monitored pressure exceeds a predetermineddifferential pressure limit.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises making data indicativeof one or more of: cumulative volume of water to be treated during thepredetermined period of time, expected volume of water to be treatedduring the predetermined period of time, parameter of the water to betreated during the predetermined period of time, and expected value ofthe parameter of the water to be treated during the predetermined periodof time available via a web portal.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises determining a schedulefor service of the water treatment unit without input from a user of thetreated water.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises transmitting dataindicative of the volume of the water to be treated and data indicativeof the value of the monitored parameter of the water to be treated to acentral server remote from the water treatment unit.

In some embodiments, monitoring the parameter of water to be treatedcomprises monitoring a conductivity of the water to be treated.

In accordance with another aspect, there is provided method forproviding treated water over a first predetermined period of time. Themethod comprises directing a first feedwater to be treated through afirst water treatment unit to produce a first treated water, the firstwater treatment unit including ion exchange media, during the firstpredetermined period of time, monitoring a parameter of the firstfeedwater, during the first predetermined period of time, monitoring atleast one of a volume of the first feedwater directed through the watertreatment unit and the first treated water, transmitting to a serverdisposed remotely from the first water treatment unit, data indicativeof at least one of the volume of the first feedwater and the volume ofthe first treated water, and data indicative of the monitored parameter,determining a base fee for providing the first treated water during thefirst predetermined period of time based on at least one of an expectedvolume of the first feedwater to be treated during the firstpredetermined period of time and an expected value of the parameter ofthe water to be treated during the first predetermined period of time,and determining a fee adjustment based on the base fee and a differencebetween the monitored volume of the first feedwater and the expectedvolume of the first feedwater to be treated.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises directing a secondfeedwater to be treated through a second water treatment unit to producea second treated water, the second water treatment unit disposedremotely from the first water treatment unit and including ion exchangemedia, during a second predetermined period of time, monitoring aparameter of the second feedwater, during the second predeterminedperiod of time, monitoring at least one of a volume of the secondfeedwater directed through the second water treatment unit and a volumeof the second treated water, transmitting to the server disposedremotely from the second water treatment unit, data indicative of atleast one of the volume of the second feedwater and the volume of thesecond treated water, and data indicative of the monitored parameter ofthe second feedwater, determining a second base fee for providing thesecond treated water during the predetermined period of time based on atleast one of an expected volume of the second feedwater to be treatedand an expected value of the parameter of the second feedwater to betreated during the second predetermined period of time, and determininga second fee adjustment based on the second base fee and a differencebetween the monitored volume of the second feedwater and the expectedvolume of the second feedwater to be treated.

In some embodiments, the monitored parameter of the first feedwaterrepresents a conductivity of the first feedwater, and whereindetermining the fee adjustment is further based on a difference betweenthe conductivity of the first feedwater and an expected conductivity ofthe first feedwater.

In some embodiments, the monitored parameter of the second feedwaterrepresents a conductivity of the second feedwater, and whereindetermining the second fee adjustment is further based on a differencebetween the conductivity of the second feedwater and an expectedconductivity of the second feedwater.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises determining aremaining treatment capacity of the first water treatment unit based onat least one of a cumulative volume of the first feedwater and theconductivity of the first feedwater directed through the first watertreatment unit during the first predetermined period of time.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises determining aremaining treatment capacity of the second water treatment unit based onat least one of a cumulative volume of the second feedwater and theconductivity of the second feedwater directed through the second watertreatment unit during the second predetermined period of time.

In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a method ofremotely monitoring water treatment units. The method comprisesreceiving at a remote central server, data from a first water treatmentunit that produces a first treated water delivered to a first facility,the central server disposed remotely from the first local facility, thedata representative of at least one of a volume of a first feedwater tobe treated in the first water treatment unit, a volume of the firsttreated water, and a conductivity of the first feedwater, during a firstpredetermined period, receiving at the remote central server, data froma second water treatment unit that produces a second treated waterdelivered to a second facility that is disposed remotely from the firstfacility, the central server disposed remotely from the second facility,the data representative of at least one of a volume of a secondfeedwater to be treated in the second water treatment unit, a volume ofthe second treated water, and a conductivity of the second feedwater,during a second predetermined period, determining a first base fee forproviding the first treated water over the first predetermined periodbased on at least one of an expected volume of the first feedwater to betreated and an expected value of the conductivity of the firstfeedwater, determining a second base fee for providing the secondtreated water over the second predetermined period based on at least oneof an expected volume of the second feedwater to be treated and anexpected value of the conductivity of the second feedwater, determininga first fee adjustment for providing the first treated water based onthe first base fee and a difference between an actual and the expectedvolume of the first feedwater, and determining a second fee adjustmentfor providing the second treated water based on the second base fee anda difference between an actual and the expected volume of the secondfeedwater.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises determining aremaining treatment capacity of the first water treatment unit based onat least one of a cumulative volume of the first feedwater and theconductivity of the first feedwater directed through the first watertreatment unit.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises determining aremaining treatment capacity of the second water treatment unit based onat least one of a cumulative volume of the second feedwater and theconductivity of the second feedwater directed through the second watertreatment unit.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises initiating a firstservice requirement for the first water treatment unit based on acumulative volume of the first feedwater treated in the first treatmentunit.

In some embodiments, determining the first fee adjustment is furtherbased on the conductivity of the first feedwater during the firstpredetermined period.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises initiating a secondservice requirement for the second water treatment unit based on acumulative volume of the second feedwater treated in the secondtreatment unit.

In some embodiments, determining the second fee adjustment is furtherbased on the conductivity of the second feedwater during the secondpredetermined period.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises generating a route fora service provider to service the first water treatment unit and thesecond water treatment unit based at least in part on locations of eachof the first facility and the second facility.

In accordance with another aspect there is provided a non-transitorycomputer readable media having instructions encoded therein which, whenexecuted by a computer, cause the computer to perform any one of themethods disclosed above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In thedrawings, each identical or nearly identical component that isillustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. Forpurposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in everydrawing. In the drawings:

FIG. 1A is a schematic illustration of a water treatment system andassociated monitoring system;

FIG. 1B is a schematic illustration of a water treatment system;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a water treatment system andassociated monitoring system;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a data platform/monitoring systemfor a water treatment system;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a service deionization watertreatment system;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a water treatment system service;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method of providing treated water;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method of performing actions based on datacollected by a water treatment unit during treatment of water; and

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method of remotely monitoring water treatmentunits.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to the detailsof construction and the arrangement of components set forth in thefollowing description or illustrated in the drawings. Aspects andembodiments disclosed herein are capable of other embodiments and ofbeing practiced or of being carried out in various ways.

Aspects and embodiments disclosed herein include a wireless monitoringsystem which enables data collection from and monitoring of the statusof various meters, sensors, and scientific instruments at one or morelocations. The data may be gathered wirelessly, for example, by means ofthe GSM cellular telephone network using a modem connected to a computeror a hand-held device, by Wi-Fi, or other wireless data collectionmethods known in the art, e.g., based on the LTE Cat 1, LTE Cat M1 orCat NB1 standard. In other embodiments, data may be gathered from themonitoring system via a wired connection to a centralized monitoringsystem.

Aspects and embodiments of a wireless monitoring system may be utilizedin the environment of a water treatment system. The water treatmentsystem may include one or more unit operations. The one or more unitoperations may include one or more pressure-driven water treatmentdevices, for example, membrane filtration devices such as nanofiltration(NF) devices, reverse osmosis (RO) devices, hollow fiber membranefiltration devices, etc., one or more ion-exchange water treatmentdevices, one or more electrically-driven water treatment devices, forexample, electrodialysis (ED) or electrodeionization (EDI) devices, oneor more chemical-based water treatment devices, for example,chlorination or other chemical dosing devices, one or more carbonfilters, one or more biologically-based treatment devices, for example,aerobic biological treatment vessels, anaerobic digesters, orbiofilters, one or more radiation-based water treatment devices, forexample, ultraviolet light irradiation systems, or other water treatmentdevices or systems known in the art.

The water treatment system may be utilized to treat water for industrialuses, for example, for use in semiconductor processing plants, foodprocessing or preparation sites, for use in chemical processing plants,to produce purified water for use as lab water, or may be utilized toprovide a site with water suitable for irrigation or drinking waterpurposes. In other embodiments, the water treatment system may beutilized to treat wastewater from industrial or municipal sources.

The water treatment system may include one or more sensors, probes, orinstruments for monitoring one or more parameters of water entering orexiting any one or more of the one or more unit operations. The one ormore sensors, probes, or instruments may include, for example, flowmeters, water level sensors, conductivity meters, resistivity meters,chemical concentration meters, turbidity monitors, chemical speciesspecific concentration sensors, temperature sensors, pH sensors,oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) sensors, pressure sensors, or anyother sensor, probe, or scientific instrument useful for providing anindication of a desired characteristic or parameter of water entering orexiting any one or more of the one or more unit operations.

A monitoring system may be utilized to gather data from sensors, probes,or scientific instruments included in the water treatment system and mayprovide the gathered data to operators local to the water treatmentsystem or to persons, for example, a water treatment system serviceprovider, remote from the water treatment and monitoring system.

One embodiment of a water treatment system (also referred to herein as awater treatment unit) and associated monitoring system is illustratedschematically in FIG. 1A generally at 100. The water treatment systemmay include one or more water treatment units or devices 105A, 105B,105C. The one or more water treatment devices may be arrangedfluidically in series and/or in parallel as illustrated in FIG. 1B.Although only three water treatment devices 105A, 105B, 105C areillustrated, it is to be understood that the water treatment system mayinclude any number of water treatment units or devices.

The water treatment system 100 may further include one or more ancillarysystems 150A, 150B, 150C, for example, pumps, pre or post filters,polishing beds, heating or cooling units, sampling units, powersupplies, or other ancillary equipment fluidically in line with orotherwise coupled to or in communication with the one or more watertreatment units 105A, 105B, 105C. The ancillary systems are not limitedto only three ancillary systems but may be any number and type ofancillary systems desired in a particular implementation. The one ormore water treatment units 105A, 105B, 105C and ancillary systems 150A,150B, 150C may be in communication with a controller 110, for example, acomputerized controller, which may receive signals from and/or sendsignals to the one or more water treatment devices 105A, 105B, 105C andancillary systems 150A, 150B, 150C to monitor and control same. The oneor more water treatment devices 105A, 105B, 105C and ancillary systems150A, 150B, 150C may send or receive data related to one or moreoperating parameters to or from the controller 110 in analog or digitalsignals. The controller 110 may be local to the water treatment system100 or remote from the water treatment system 100 and may be incommunication with the components of the water treatment system 100 bywired and/or wireless links, e.g., by a local area network or a databus. A source of water to be treated 200 may supply water to be treatedto the water treatment system 100. The water to be treated may passthrough or be treated in any of the water treatment devices 105A, 105B,105C and, optionally, one or more of the ancillary systems 150A, 150B,150C and may be output to a downstream device or point of use 220.

Returning to FIG. 1A, one or more sensors, probes, or scientificinstruments associated with each of the water treatment devices 105A,105B, 105C may be in communication, via a wired or a wirelessconnection, to a controller 110 which may include, for example, a localmonitoring and data gathering device or system. The one of more sensors,probes or scientific instruments associated with each of the watertreatment devices 105A, 105B, 105C may provide monitoring data to thecontroller 110 in the form of analog or digital signals. The controller110 may provide data from the sensors or scientific instrumentsassociated with each of the water treatment devices 105A, 105B, 105C todifferent locations. One of the locations may optionally include adisplay 115 local to one of the water treatment devices 105A, 105B, 105Cor the site at which the water treatment devices 105A, 105B, 105C arelocated. Another of the locations may be a web portal 120 which may behosted in a local or remote server or in the cloud 125. Another of thelocations optionally may be a distributed control system (DCS) 130 whichmay be located at the site or at the facility at which the watertreatment devices 105A, 105B, 105C are located.

Processing of the data from the one or more sensors, probes, orscientific instruments associated with each of the water treatmentdevices 105A, 105B, 105C may be performed at the controller 110 andsummarized data may be provided to one or more of the locations 115,120, 130, or the controller 110 may pass raw data from the one or moresensors or scientific instruments or probes to one or more of thelocations 115, 120, 130. The data may be available through one or moreof the locations 115, 120, 130 to an operator of the water treatmentsystem or any of the individual water treatment devices, to a user oftreated water provided by the water treatment system, to a vendor orservice provider that may be responsible for maintenance of one or moreof the water treatment devices 105A, 105B, 105C or the system 100 as awhole, or to any other interested parties. For example, a user of thewater treatment system 100 may access data related to water qualityand/or quantity of treated water produced in the water treatment system100 via the web portal 120 or via the site DCS system 130. The user mayutilize such data for auditing purposes or to show compliance withregulations associated with production of the treated water. Furtheroptional configurations contemplate storage of the raw or processed dataor both at one or more data storage devices, at any of locations 110,120 and 130.

Features associated with the water treatment devices 105A, 105B, 105Care illustrated in FIG. 2, wherein an example of a water treatmentdevice (which may be any one or more of water treatment devices 105A,105B, 105C) is indicated at 105. A source 200 of water (alternativelyreferred to herein as feedwater) to be treated in the water treatmentdevice 105 may be disposed in fluid communication upstream of the watertreatment device 105. The source 200 may be a source of untreated water,water output from a plant or from a point of use at the site at whichthe water treatment device 105 is located, or an upstream watertreatment device. The water to be treated may pass through or otherwisebe monitored by one or more sensors 205 upstream of the inlet of thewater treatment device 105. The one or more sensors 205 may include, forexample, a flow meter, a conductivity sensor, a pH sensor, a turbiditysensor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, an ORP sensor, or anyone or more of the other forms of sensors described above. The one ormore sensors 205 may provide data regarding one or more measuredparameters of the water to be treated in the water treatment device 105to a local monitor 225 associated with the water treatment device 105which may pass the data on to the controller 110. The one or moresensors 205 may provide the data in either analog signals or digitalsignals. The local monitor 225 may be included as hardware or softwarein the controller 110 or may be a separate device. The one or moresensors 205 may additionally or alternatively provide data regarding theone or more measured parameters of the water to be treated in the watertreatment device 105 directly to the controller 110.

The water to be treated may enter the water treatment device 105 throughan inlet 104 of the water treatment device 105 and undergo treatmentwithin the water treatment device 105. One or more sensors 210 may bedisposed internal to the water treatment device 105 to gather datarelated to operation of the water treatment device 105 and/or one ormore parameters of the water undergoing treatment in the water treatmentdevice 105. The one or more sensors 210 may include, for example, apressure sensor, level sensor, conductivity sensor, pH sensor, OPRsensor, current or voltage sensor, or any one or more of the other formsof sensors described above. The one or more sensors 210 may provide datarelated to operation of the water treatment device 105 and/or one ormore parameters of the water undergoing treatment in the water treatmentdevice 105 to the local monitor 225, which may pass the data on to thecontroller 110. The one or more sensors 210 may additionally oralternatively provide data related to operation of the water treatmentdevice 105 and/or one or more parameters of the water undergoingtreatment in the water treatment device 105 directly to the controller110. Communications between the one or more sensors 210 and localmonitor 225 and/or controller 110 may be via a wired or wirelesscommunications link.

After treatment in the water treatment device 105 the treated water mayexit though an outlet 106 of the water treatment device 105. One or moreparameters of the treated water may be tested or monitored by one ormore downstream sensors 215. The one or more sensors 215 may include,for example, a flow meter, a conductivity sensor, a pH sensor, aturbidity sensor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, an ORPsensor, or any one or more of the other forms of sensors describedabove. The one or more sensors 215 may provide data regarding one ormore measured parameters of the treated water to the local monitor 225,which may pass the data on to the controller 110. The one or moresensors 215 may additionally or alternatively provide data regarding theone or more measured parameters of the treated water directly to thecontroller 110. Communications between the one or more sensors 215 andlocal monitor 225 and/or controller 110 may be via a wired or wirelesscommunications link.

The local monitor 225 may include functionality for controlling theoperation of the water treatment device 105. Based on measuredparameters of the water to be treated or the treated water from thesensors 205 and/or 215, measured parameters from the one or moreinternal sensors 210, or based on a command received from an operator,the local monitor 225 may control inlet or outlet valves V (or one ormore ancillary systems 150A, 150B, 150C illustrated in FIG. 1B) toadjust a flow rate or residence time of water within the water treatmentdevice 105. The local monitor 225 may also control one or more internalcontrols 230 of the water treatment device 105 to adjust one or moreoperating parameters of the water treatment device 105, for example,internal temperature, pressure, pH, electrical current or voltage (forelectrically-based treatment devices), aeration, mixing speed orintensity, or any other desired operating parameter of the watertreatment device 105.

The local monitor 225 and/or controller 110 may monitor signals from oneor more of the input sensors 205, internal sensors 210, and outputsensors 215 to determine if an error condition or unexpected event hasoccurred and may be configured to generate and error message or signalin response to detecting same. For example, in instances in which theinput sensors 205 and output sensors 215 include inlet and outletpressure sensors, the local monitor 225 and/or controller 110 may beconfigured to receive inlet pressure data from the inlet pressure sensorand outlet pressure data from the outlet pressure sensor and generate analarm if a difference in the pressure of the feedwater relative to thepressure of the treated water is above a differential pressure setpoint.In instances in which one or more of the input sensors 205, internalsensors 210, and output sensors 215 include a leak detection moduledisposed to close if moisture is detected in an enclosure of the watertreatment unit 105, the local monitor 225 and/or controller 110 may beconfigured to generate an indication if the leak detection moduledetects moisture in the enclosure. In some embodiments, the leak detectmodule includes a sensor disposed externally or outside of but proximatethe enclosure of the unit on a floor upon which the water treatment unitis set.

In one embodiment, the monitoring system, represented by the controller110 and illustrated in further detail in FIG. 3, may include one or moreof a wireless modem 305 which may, for example, utilize a cellular phonenetwork, e.g., based on the LTE Cat 1, LTE Cat M1 or Cat NB1 standard,to communicate data regarding operation of a water treatment device 105and/or water to be treated and/or water after being treated in a watertreatment device 105 with a remote server or one of locations 115, 120,130, a processing unit (CPU) 310 operatively connected to the modem 305,a memory 315 operatively connected to the CPU 310 which may be used tostore data received from sensors associated with the water treatmentdevices and/or code for controlling the operation of one or more watertreatment devices, one or more interfaces 320, which may include wiredor wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth®, cellular, etc.) interfaces forconnecting one or more scientific instruments or any of sensors 205,210, 215 or other sensors associated with a water treatment device 105or system to the central processing unit, a power supply 325 forproviding electrical power to the modem 305 and the central processingunit, and an enclosure 330 for housing the components at the location.In some embodiments, the one or more interfaces 320 may include aBluetooth® interface operatively configured to wirelessly transmit dataover a personal area network. Any or all of the components of thecontroller 110 may be communicatively coupled with one or more internalbusses 335. In some embodiments, the memory 315 may include anon-transitory computer readable medium including instructions, thatwhen executed by the CPU 310, cause the CPU 310 to perform any of themethods disclosed herein.

A variety of monitoring devices such as a flow meter or other scientificinstrument are normally operably connected to the CPU 310 such that datafrom the monitoring device or scientific instrument is transmitted tothe modem 305 where it can be accessed from a remote location through,for example, the cellular phone network.

In one aspect of the disclosure, a remote monitoring and control systemarchitecture is used as illustrated in FIG. 1A. A controller 110comprising a modem 305 (FIG. 3) and cellular connectivity is connectedto various devices, for example, one or more sensors (for example, anyone or more of sensors 205, 210, 215) associated with water treatmentdevices 105A, 105B, and 105C. The one or more sensors may comprise aservice deionization tank resistivity monitor, a series of sensors andmonitors such as a flow meter, conductivity meter, temperature and pHsensors for a water purification system such as a reverse osmosissystem, or the one or more sensors may comprise a series of unitoperations combined into a complete system. The information from thevarious one or more sensors is uploaded to internal portals from theoperating business and can also be uploaded to customer portals andcustomer DCS systems 130. The entire network may be cloud based.

One example of a local water treatment system or unit 100 that may beincluded in aspect and embodiments disclosed herein is a servicedeionization system. One example of a local water treatment system orunit 100 including a service deionization system is illustratedgenerally at 400 in FIG. 4. Water to be treated is supplied from asource 405 of water to an inlet pressure relief valve 410. The inletpressure relief valve 410 regulates inlet water pressure to preventover-pressurization and potential system damage. The inlet water thenpasses through a solenoid valve 415 and passes through a pre-filter 420.The pre-filter 420 removes particulate matter that may be present in theinlet water from the source 405. A first flow meter 425 monitors theflow of the inlet water from the pre-filter 420. An inlet water qualityprobe S1 is in fluid communication with inlet water exiting thepre-filter 420. The inlet water quality probe S1 includes a conductivitysensor and a temperature sensor. Conductivity of the inlet water maydepend on both concentration of ionic species in the inlet water andtemperature of the inlet water. The temperature sensor may provide datautilized to apply an offset or calibration to data output from theconductivity sensor to reduce or eliminate the effect of temperature onthe conductivity sensor readings. In some embodiments, the rawconductivity readings from the inlet water conductivity sensor may belinearly adjusted for temperatures different from a referencetemperature of 25° C. by a temperature coefficient, such as 2.0% perdegree C.

The inlet water flows from the first flow meter 425 to a first treatmentcolumn 430 which may be, for example, a carbon filtration column. Thewater is treated in the first treatment column 430, exits the firsttreatment column 430, and enters a second treatment column 435 which maybe, for example, a cation resin ion exchange column.

After being treated in the second treatment column 435 the water exitsthe second treatment column 435 and enters a third treatment column orworker bed 440. The worker bed 440 may include, for example, an anionresin ion exchange column. A worker probe S2 is disposed to measure atleast one worker water parameter of water from the worker bed 440. Theworker probe S2 may include a conductivity sensor and a temperaturesensor for providing temperature calibration for data output from theconductivity sensor of the worker probe S2, as described above withreference to the inlet water quality probe S1. In some embodiments, theraw conductivity readings from the worker bed water conductivity sensormay be linearly adjusted for temperatures different from a referencetemperature of 25° C. by a temperature coefficient, e.g., 5.2% perdegree C. The temperature coefficient can be adjusted locally, at theunit or remotely, from the central server. The worker probe S2 may beprovided on the output of the worker bed 440 to measure the quality ofwater exiting the worker bed 440. The worker probe S2 may include anindicator light or display (not shown) that provides an indication ofwhether the conductivity of the water exiting the worker bed 440 iswithin acceptable limits.

The water is treated in the worker bed and exits the worker bed 440 andenters a polisher bed 445 which may be, for example, a mixed bed resinion exchange column. A polisher probe S3 is disposed to measure at leastone polisher water parameter of water from the polisher bed 445. Thepolisher probe S3 may include a conductivity sensor and a temperaturesensor for providing temperature calibration for data output from theconductivity sensor of the polisher probe S3, as described above withreference to the inlet water quality probe S1. In some embodiments, theraw conductivity readings from the polisher bed water conductivitysensor may be linearly adjusted for temperatures different from areference temperature of 25° C. by temperature coefficient, e.g., 5.2%per degree C. The temperature coefficient can be adjusted locally, atthe unit or remotely, from the central server. The polisher probe S3 maybe provided on the output of the polisher column 445 to measure thequality of water exiting the polisher column 445. The polisher probe S3may include an indicator light or display (not shown) that provides anindication of whether the conductivity of the water exiting the polishercolumn 445 is within acceptable limits. The water is treated in thepolisher column 445 and exits the polisher column 445. The water exitingthe polisher column 445 may pass through a post filter 450, which maybe, for example, a column filter that filters any resin fines from thetreated water. A second flow meter 425 may be provided downstream of thepolisher bed 445. The second flow meter 425 may be provided in additionto or as an alternative to the first flow meter 425.

A monitor/controller 455, which may include features of one or both ofthe local monitor 225 and/or controller 110 illustrated in FIG. 2, maybe utilized to monitor and control aspects of the system or unit 400.The monitor/controller 455 may, for example, receive a signal from aleak detector module 460 that may provide an indication of a leak beingpresent in the system or unit 400. For, example, the leak detect module460 may be disposed to close if moisture is detected in an enclosure 465of the service deionization system 400 or on a floor or other surfaceupon which the enclosure 465 or the system 400 is disposed. Themonitor/controller 455 may be configured to generate an indication,alarm, or warning if the leak detection module 460 detects moisture inthe enclosure 465. If a leak is detected, the monitor/controller 455 maysend a control signal to the solenoid valve to 415 to shut down flow ofwater through the system. The monitor/controller 455may also provide asignal by a wired or wireless connection to a service provider toindicate that the system 400 may be in need of service. Themonitor/controller 455 may be configured to receive and monitor flowrate data via signals received from one or both of the first and secondflow meters 425 and may be configured to receive and monitor at leastone measured inlet water parameter from the inlet water quality probeS1, at least one worker water parameter from the worker probe S2, and atleast one polisher water parameter from the polisher probe S3. Theprobes S1, S2, and/or S3 may provide conductivity measurements to themonitor/controller 455 at a periodic rate, for example, once every fiveseconds, or continuously. Data from the probes S1, S2, and/or S3 may belogged by the monitor/controller 455 on a periodic basis, for example,once per five minutes. If the flow rate or water quality measurementsare outside an acceptable range the monitor/controller 455 may provide asignal by a wired or wireless connection to a service provider toindicate that the system 400 may be in need of service, for example,that the resin in one of the worker bed 440 or polisher bed 445 may bedepleted and in need of replacement or that one of the filters 420, 450may be clogged and in need of service.

The water treatment unit 400 (for example, the monitor/controller 455 ofthe water treatment system 400) may be in communication with a server,for example, server 510 at a centralized monitoring location 500 asillustrated in FIG. 5. The server 510 may be configured to receive fromthe local water treatment unit, at least one of the flow data, the atleast one measured inlet water parameter, the at least one worker waterparameter, and the at least one polisher water parameter.

At least one of the controller 455 and the server 510 may be furtherconfigured to determine at least one of a cumulative flow total based onan aggregate of the flow data from one or both of the first and secondflow meters 425, a billing cycle flow total based on the flow dataduring a billing cycle through the local water treatment unit 400, acurrent exchange flow total based on the flow data during a currentservice period of the worker bed, a contaminant load based on the atleast one inlet water parameter, and a remaining capacity of the localwater treatment unit based at least on the contaminant load.

Additional sensors, for example, pressure differential sensorsassociated with the filters 420, 450, a flow sensor or flow totalizerassociated with the inlet pressure relief valve 410 or first or secondflow meters 425 may also be present and in communication with themonitor/controller 455, local monitor 225, and/or controller 110.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a system andmethod for providing a service that allows delivery of a water productin accordance with specific quality requirements. In some instances, theproduct offering, e.g., the water product, is delivered and/or consumedby a user without the user operating any product treatment systems,e.g., without operating a water treatment system, and directly consumesthe water product having predefined quality characteristics. In someinstances, certain aspects of the disclosure allow acquisition of auser's consumption behaviour of the product, e.g., water consumption,and such data or information can then be utilized by the system owner orservice product provider to adjust, repair, replace, or maintain, anycomponent, subsystem, or parameter of, for example, the water treatmentsystem. For example, one or more local treatment units or systems can bedisposed or located at a user's facility with a plurality of ionexchange columns having a plurality of sensors or probes that monitorone or more characteristics thereof and/or one or more parameters of theraw, inlet water or feedwater, the outlet, service product water, and/orwater exiting any of the ion exchange columns Data can thus betransmitted from the one or more treatment systems, e.g., at the userspoint of use, to an information or data storage or housing facility,typically away from the user's facility, or remotely from the watertreatment system. Data or information acquired, transmitted and/orstored can include, for example, properties of the inlet water or theproduced water quality, e.g., conductivity, pH, temperature, pressure,concentration of dissolved solids, oxidation reduction potential, orflow rate. Data acquired, transmitted, and/or stored can also includeoperating parameters of the one or more treatment systems. For example,the one or more treatment systems can deliver a deionized water productwherein the treatment system includes an ion exchange subsystem and thedata can include any one or more of pressure, both inlet and outlet,flow rate, run-time, ion exchange bed operating or service duration, oralarm conditions. Other information can include subsystemcharacteristics such as remote transmitter signal strength, ion exchangebed pressure, and/or differential pressure.

With respect to an exemplary treatment system, the system can compriseion exchange beds or columns of cation exchange resin, anion exchangeresin, or a mixture of cation and anion exchange resin. The process caninvolve delivering water having a predetermined quality, e.g., apredetermined conductivity, for a predetermined period, e.g., hourly,daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually. For example, theprocess can provide a user with deionized water having a purity that issuitable for semiconductor manufacturing operations. The delivered watercan be deionized at the user's facility by the one or more treatmentsystems even if the treatment system is not owned or operated by theuser. The system's owner may provide the treatment system at the user'sfacility, connect the treatment system to a source of water, operate thetreatment system, monitor the operating parameters of the treatmentsystem, and deliver the treated, deionized water to the user. The systemowner may receive information or data regarding the treatment systemparameters and deionized water properties from the treatment system andstore such data. The owner may monitor the system and proactivelyservice or replace any subsystem or subcomponent of the treatment systemwithout user interaction. The owner or operator of the treatment systemthus provides a water product to the user without user interaction. Forexample, if data from the treatment system indicates that one or more ofthe ion exchange columns requires replacement, or is about to reach theend of its useful life, the owner or operator can, without userinteraction, replace any of the columns of the treatment system. Inexchange, the owner or operator is compensated by the user based onwater consumption. Alternatively, the user can compensate the owner oroperator according to a subscription, e.g., a daily, weekly, or monthlysubscription for use and availability of the deionized water product.

Although a deionized product water treated by ion exchange columns wasexemplarily described, other systems can be implemented as well. Forexample, the one or more treatment systems can utilize reverse osmosis(RO) apparatus. The owner or operator can remotely monitor the ROapparatus to ensure delivery and quality of a water product, replace ROmembranes or columns, pumps, and/or filters, of the RO apparatus. Inexchange, the user can compensate owner/operator based on quantity ofproduced water consumed, or according to a periodic subscription.

A centralized monitoring location, illustrated generally at 500 in FIG.5 may receive data from one or more local water treatment systems, forexample, from controllers 110 (and/or monitor/controllers 455, or localmonitors 225) associated with local water treatment units or systems400A, 400B, 400C at a plurality of different sites 505A, 505B, 505C. Thelocal water treatment unit or system 400A located at one of the sites,for example, site 505A may be or may include the local water treatmentunit or system 400 illustrated in FIG. 4. Another of the sites mayinclude a second local water treatment unit or system 400B. The secondlocal water treatment unit or system 400B may include unit operationssimilar to or corresponding to those of the local water treatment unitor system 400A, for example, a second inlet water quality probe(corresponding to inlet water quality probe S1 of treatment unit 400)disposed to measure at least one inlet water parameter of a secondfeedwater to be treated in the second local water treatment unit, thesecond inlet water quality probe including a second conductivity sensorand a second temperature sensor, a second worker bed (corresponding toworker bed 440 of treatment unit 400) having ion exchange mediacontained therein, and disposed to receive the second feedwater to betreated, a second worker probe (corresponding to worker probe S2 oftreatment unit 400) disposed to measure at least one water parameter ofwater from the second worker bed, the second worker probe including asecond worker conductivity sensor and a second worker temperaturesensor, a second polisher bed (corresponding to polisher bed 445 oftreatment unit 400) having ion exchange media contained therein, andfluidly connected downstream from the second worker bed, and a secondpolisher probe (corresponding to polisher probe S3 of treatment unit400) disposed to measure at least one polisher water parameter of waterfrom the second polisher bed, the second polisher probe including asecond polisher conductivity sensor and a second polisher temperaturesensor. A second flow meter (corresponding to first or second flow meter425 of treatment unit 400) is positioned at least one of upstream thesecond worker bed and downstream of the second polisher bed andconfigured to measure flow data of water introduced into the secondlocal water treatment unit. A second controller (corresponding tocontroller 455 of treatment unit 400) is in communication with thesecond flow meter, the second inlet water quality probe, the secondworker probe, and the second polisher probe. The second controller isconfigured to receive the flow data from the second flow meter, the atleast one measured inlet water parameter from the second inlet waterquality probe, the at least one worker water parameter from the secondworker probe, and the at least one polisher water parameter from thesecond polisher probe.

The second water treatment system 400B, like the water treatment system400, may be in communication with the server 510 at the centralizedmonitoring location 500. The server 510 may be further configured toreceive from the second local water treatment unit, at least one of theflow data from the second flow meter, the at least one measured inletwater parameter from the second inlet water quality probe, the at leastone worker water parameter from the second worker probe, and the atleast one polisher water parameter from the second polisher probe.

At least one of the controller 455 of local water treatment system 400and the server 510 may be further configured to determine at least oneof a cumulative flow total based on an aggregate of the flow data fromone or both of the first and second flow meters 425, a billing cycleflow total based on the flow data during a billing cycle through thelocal water treatment unit 400, a current exchange flow total based onthe flow data during a current service period of the worker bed, acontaminant load based on the at least one inlet water parameter, and aremaining capacity of the local water treatment unit based at least onthe contaminant load.

A second controller at the second water treatment unit 400B, which maybe substantially similar to and correspond to the controller 455 oflocal water treatment system 400 may be configured to determine at leastone of a cumulative flow total of the second water treatment unit basedon an aggregate of the flow data through the water second watertreatment unit, a second billing cycle flow total based on the flow dataduring a billing cycle through the second water treatment unit, acurrent exchange flow total based on the flow data during a currentservice period of the second worker bed, a second contaminant load basedon the at least one inlet water parameter of the second feedwater, and aremaining capacity of the second local water treatment unit based atleast on the second contaminant load.

Data from any of the units 400A, 400B, and 400C can be collected andrespectively stored in a memory device operatively connected to each ofthe respective controllers 110 and continuously transmitted throughwired or wireless communication protocols or a combination thereof toserver 510. Typically, however, data at each unit is stored andaccumulated during a predetermined collection period and thentransmitted intermittently to server 510. For example, data regardingthe various operating parameters can be continually or continuouslycollected and stored the memory device, the controller can periodically,e.g., every five minutes, hourly, once or twice each day, transmitthrough the modem to a receiving modem operatively connected via aninternet connection to server 510 whereat the accumulated data can bestored and analyzed. In other configurations, certain data types, suchas alarms and associated notifications, may be preferentiallytransmitted immediately.

The centralized monitoring location 500 may analyze the data provided bythe different controllers 110 to determine when one or more watertreatment devices 105 in the water treatment systems at the differentsites 505A, 505B, 505C should be serviced. The centralized monitoringlocation 500 may create a schedule for service of the one or more watertreatment devices 105 in the water treatment systems at the differentsites 505A, 505B, 505C and communicate service schedules to one or moreservice provider locations 515A, 515B.

In some embodiments a service provider responsible for servicingcomponents of a water treatment system at a user's site may obtain datafrom the water treatment system and charge a fee for providing treatedwater at the user's site based on the data obtained from the watertreatment system. The fee may include a base monthly charge for anexpected amount of treated water to be produced and a surcharge for ameasured amount of treated water produced over the expected amount. Insome embodiments, a water treatment system or component thereof, forexample, one or more of the ion exchange columns 430, 435, 440, 445illustrated in FIG. 4 may have a finite capacity for treating waterhaving a certain impurity concentration before the water treatmentsystem or component thereof becomes depleted or should be serviced. Anion exchange column, for example, may have a capacity for removing acertain amount of undesirable ions from water passing through the ionexchange column before resin in the ion exchange column may need to beregenerated or replaced.

A service provider, who, in some implementations may also be the ownerof a water treatment system providing treated water at a user's site,may monitor parameters of influent water to be treated, for example,flow rate and water quality. These parameters may be collected by acontroller 110 and/or monitor/controllers 455, or local monitors 225 asdescribed above and communicated to a central server 510 or service hubat a centralized monitoring system 500 as illustrated in FIG. 5. Theservice provider may charge a fee for producing the treated water forthe user that is based at least in part on the parameters of theinfluent water to be treated, for example, flow rate and water quality.The fee for providing treated water over a predetermined time period,for example, over a week, a month, or a year, may be based on an averageflow rate and average water quality over the predetermined time period.In calculating the average flow rate and/or average water quality overthe predetermined time period outliers in the flow rate or water qualitydata may be removed to provide a better indication of steady stateoperation of the water treatment system.

A service deionization system such as illustrated in FIG. 4 is oneexample of a water treatment system or unit at a user's site that aservice provider may maintain and service and charge the user fortreating influent water to produce treated water at the user's site.Resin beds in the ion exchange columns 430, 435, 440, 445 may have alimited capacity for removing ionic contaminants from water undergoingtreatment at the user's site. The ion exchange columns may beperiodically serviced by the service provider to, for example, replaceion exchange media in the ion exchange columns. A fee that the serviceprovider charges for the provision of the treated water at the user'ssite may be based at least partially on costs associated with replacingthe ion exchange media in the ion exchange columns and the frequency atwhich such service is performed.

The time between instances of service to replace ion exchange media inan ion exchange column may be calculated based on a water qualityparameter such as concentration of ionic contaminants in influent waterto be treated and a flow rate of water through the water treatmentsystem. A conductivity sensor (e.g., one of the input sensors 205illustrated in FIG. 2) may be utilized to measure the concentration ofionic contaminants in the influent water to be treated. A flow sensor(e.g., another of the input sensor 205 illustrated in FIG. 2 or theoutput sensors 215 or internal sensors 210 illustrated in FIG. 2) may beutilized to measure the flow rate of water being treated in the watertreatment system at the user's site. Based on measurements from theconductivity sensor and the flow sensor(s) in the water treatmentsystem, the service provider may determine a frequency at which the ionexchange column(s) should be serviced. The capacity of the ion exchangecolumns is based on the types of resin used and the amount of resinused. The capacity is expressed in grains. The total amount of waterthat can be treated is based on the capacity of the ion exchange columnsand contaminant load in the feedwater as expressed by its conductivity.The conversion equations are as follows:

Conductivity (uS/CM)×Cond_TDS_Conv_Factor=Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)(units are PPM)   (1)

TDS/PPM_GPG_Conv_Factor=Contaminant_Load (units are grains/gallon)   (2)

The Cond_TDS_Conv_Factor and PPM_GPG_Conv_Factor factors in the aboveequations may be empirically determined.

Capacity calculations may begin (or may be reset) when the ion exchangecolumns are exchanged. When water begins flowing through the ionexchange columns the feedwater conductivity is converted toContaminant_Load per equatons (1) and (2) above. Each gallon of waterthat flows reduces the ion exchange column capacity by gallonsflowed×Contaminant_Load. At the beginning of each day, the systemcomputes the projected days left until ion exchange column exhaustion(Projected Days Left) by using the previous days average conductivity,the 10 day average flow total and current remaining capacity per thefollowing equation:

(Current Remaining Capacity/(Average DailyConductivity*Cond_TDS_Conv_Factor/PPM_GPG_Conv_Factor))/10 Day AverageFlow Total=Projected Days Left   (3)

The projected days left is compared to a projected days alarm setpoint.If it is less than the setpoint and a projected days left alarm isgenerated.

If the percent of remaining capacity is less than a remaining capacityalarm setpoint, a remaining capacity alarm is generated.

Alternatively, capacity determination may be based on a historicallyweighted calculation of average flow rate weighted relative to the pastday flow rate. For example, a historical daily average flow rate and theprior day average flow rate can be weighted, e.g., 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1,5:1, 6:1, 7:1, 3:2, 4:3, 5:2, 5:3, 6:5, 7:2, 7:3, 7:4, 7:5, and 7:6, canbe used.

The service provider may schedule servicing of the ion exchangecolumn(s) so that the ion exchange column(s) are serviced while stillhaving a certain amount of treatment capacity, for example, 10%treatment capacity remaining (a remaining capacity alarm setpoint of10%) to provide a safety margin to prevent the treated water fromachieving an unacceptable quality. The service provider may also oralternatively schedule servicing of the ion exchange column(s) at a setperiod of time, for example, from five to ten days before the treatmentcapacity of the ion exchange column(s) is expected to become depleted.The service provider may set a fee for production of specified volume oftreated water at the user's site based on the calculated frequency atwhich the ion exchange column(s) should be serviced.

The service provider may also or alternatively schedule service of thewater treatment system based on alarms or out of control signalsprovided by the water treatment system. The alarms or out of controlsignals may be sent responsive to one or more monitored parameterexceeding a setpoint or being outside of an expected range (e.g., 5% ormore above a five day average or a 10 day average) at a single point intime or for a period of time, for example, for five days or more. Forexample, for a service deionization system such as illustrated in FIG.4, worker probe S2 may provide an indication that the conductivity ofwater exiting the ion exchange column 440 is increasing to a levelindicative of imminent depletion of the ion exchange bed in the ionexchange column 440. The service provider may receive a notification ofthe indication from worker probe S2 via, for example, themonitor/controller 455 and may schedule service of the ion exchangecolumn 440. Based on the conductivity readings from the worker probe S2and the measured flow rate through the system, the service provider maycalculate a remaining treatment capacity of the ion exchange bed in theion exchange column 445 and adjust a schedule for servicing the ionexchange column 445 accordingly. In some embodiments, the ion exchangecolumn 440 should be serviced within about two days from the indicationprovided from the sensor S1. Additionally, if the polisher probe S3provides an indication that the conductivity of the water exiting theion exchange column 445 is approaching or exceeding an unacceptablelevel, if the leak sensor 460 provides an indication of a water leak, orif a pressure sensor or sensors (e.g., one or more of sensors 205, 210,or 215 of FIG. 2) provides an indication of an unacceptable orunacceptably trending pressure across one or more components of thetreatment system, the service provider may schedule a service call toservice one or more of the components of the water treatment system.

The service provider may also or alternatively schedule service based onone or more signals indicative of a potential system problem from one ofthe ancillary systems 150A, 150B, 150C illustrated in FIG. 1B, forexample, failure of a pump, unexpectedly high power draw from one of theancillary systems, unacceptable pressure drop across one of theancillary systems, etc. Any alerts, alarms, or out of control signalsprovided to the service provider may also or alternatively be providedto a user of the treated water produced by the water treatment system,an operator of the water treatment system or a component thereof, or anowner of the system or component thereof if the owner is not the serviceprovider.

In some embodiments, the central server 510 located at the centralizedmonitoring location 500 may determine when and which components of watertreatment systems at various user or customer sites 505A, 505B, 505Cshould be serviced. The central server located at the centralizedmonitoring location 500 may communicate a service schedule to one ormore service provider locations 515A, 515B. The central server 510located at the centralized monitoring location 500 may send servicerequests or schedules to one or one or more service provider locations515A, 515B that optimize factors such as travel time between the serviceprovider locations 515A, 515B and sites at which equipment may be inneed of service. For example, the central server may send a serviceschedule to a service provider location that is closer to a site havingequipment that should be serviced than another service providerlocation. The central server may adjust the service schedule so that oneor more components of a water treatment system at one of user orcustomer sites 505A, 505B, 505C is serviced earlier or later thanoptimal based on the remaining treatment capacity of the one or morecomponents if doing so would provide for multiple components to beserviced in a single service trip and thus cause an overall reduction incosts by reducing a number of individual service trips that are taken bythe service provider. For example, if service is scheduled to replace anion exchange column (or columns) at a first site, and a second siteclose to the first site has one or more ion exchange columns that have aremaining capacity of less than about 10% more than their remainingcapacity alarm setpoint and/or a Projected Days Left of a week or less,replacement of the ion exchange column(s) at the second site may bescheduled to be performed during a same service trip to replace the ionexchange column(s) at the first site.

Costs associated with regenerating ion exchange columns may also befactored into decisions on when to replace ion exchange columnsapproaching exhaustion at different sites. With some ion exchangecolumns if the resin in the ion exchange column still has remainingtreatment capacity, the resin bed may be first completely exhaustedprior to being regenerated. To exhaust the resin bed, additionalchemicals may be passed through the resin bed. More chemicals may berequired to exhaust and then regenerate an ion exchange column with 20%remaining capacity than a similar ion exchange column with 10% remainingcapacity. The chemicals used to exhaust a resin bed in an ion exchangecolumn have an associated cost. Accordingly, if, in the example above,costs (e.g., fuel costs and worker time) associated with travel to thesecond site in addition to costs associated with the chemicals used forregenerating the ion exchange columns at the second site earlier thannecessary exceed costs (e.g., fuel, labor, etc.) that might beassociated with replacing the ion exchange columns at the second site ina different service trip than the service trip for replacing the ionexchange column(s) at the first site, different service trips for thetwo different sites may be scheduled instead of just one.

Components of a water treatment system which may be serviced by aservice provider are not limited to ion exchange columns and the waterquality parameter or parameters used to determine when to service thecomponents water treatment systems are not limited to conductivity orionic concentration and flow rate. In other embodiments, a watertreatment system may include a turbidity sensor upstream of one or morewater treatment devices. The one or more water treatment devices mayhave a limited capacity for removing turbidity from water undergoingtreatment in the one or more water treatment devices. The one or morewater treatment devices may include, for example, a filter (e.g., a sandfilter or other form of solids-liquid separation filter) that has alimited capacity for removal of solids from water before becomingclogged or otherwise rendered ineffective for further treatment ofturbidity. The flow rate of water through the one or more watertreatment devices and the turbidity of the water to be treated may bemonitored to determine an expected service lifetime of the one or morewater treatment devices. Service of the one or more water treatmentdevices may then be scheduled to be performed prior to the end of theservice lifetime of the one or more water treatment devices.

In another example, the one or more water treatment devices may includea pressure-driven separation device, for example, a nanofiltrationdevice or a reverse osmosis device and the parameters used to determinewhen the one or more water treatment devices should be serviced includepH and/or temperature measured by one or more pH or temperature sensorsupstream, downstream, or within the one or more water treatment devices.

One method of providing treated water utilizing embodiments of thesystem disclosed herein is illustrated in the flowchart of FIG. 6,indicated generally at 600. In act 605 of the method, water is treatedin a water treatment unit, for example, that described with reference toany of FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2, and 4, for a predetermined period of time toproduce treated water. The predetermined period of time may correspondto a billing cycle of a vendor or service provider who services thewater treatment unit, operates the water treatment unit on behalf of acustomer, or who owns the water treatment unit. The predetermined periodof time may be, for example, a week, a month, three months, or any othersuitable period of time. During the predetermined period of time, avolume of the water or feedwater to be treated and/or the treated waterprovided by the water treatment unit is measured utilizing a sensorpositioned in the water treatment unit, for example, one of theancillary devices 105A, 105B, 105C of FIG. 1B, the input or outputsensors 205, 215 of FIG. 2, or one or both of the flow meters 425 ofFIG. 4. (Act 610.) In some embodiments, after measuring the volume ofthe treated water provided by the water treatment unit in act 610, acumulative volume of treated water provided by the water treatment unitmay be determined (act 615). During the predetermined period of time,one or more parameters of water to be treated in the water treatmentsystem is monitored utilizing a water quality sensor positioned in thewater treatment unit, for example, using the ancillary device 105A ofFIG. 1B or one of the input sensors 205 of FIG. 2. (Act 615.) Monitoringthe one or more parameters of the water to be treated may comprisemonitoring a conductivity of the water to be treated. The average of thevalue of the one or more parameters of the water to be treated duringthe predetermined period of time may be calculated in act 625.

The method further includes calculating a difference between themeasured volume of the provided treated water during the predeterminedperiod of time and a baseline volume of treated water to be providedduring the predetermined period of time (act 630) and determining a feeadjustment for providing the treated water based at least on thecalculated difference between the measured volume of the providedtreated water and the baseline volume of treated water to be provided(act 635). The fee adjustment may also be based on the monitoredparameter, the average of the value of the monitored parameter duringthe predetermined period of time, and/or a difference between themonitored parameter and an expected value of the monitored parameter.The fee adjustment may be an adjustment to a base fee for providing thetreated water during the predetermined period of time that is determinedbased on at least one of an expected volume of the feedwater to betreated during the predetermined period of time and an expected value ofthe parameter of the water to be treated during the predetermined periodof time.

In act 640, a remaining service life of the water treatment unit may bepredicted based on at least one of the measured volume of the treatedwater provided and/or a cumulative volume of the feedwater directedthrough the water treatment unit during the predetermined period of timeand the monitored parameter. In some embodiments, the monitoredparameter relates to a conductivity of the water to be treated. Theremaining service life of the water treatment unit may be determinedbased at least on the cumulative volume of treated water and on themonitored parameter or an average of the value of the monitoredparameter during the predetermined period of time and/or a treatmentcapacity of the water treatment unit.

In act 645 data regarding any of the monitored or calculated parameters,for example data indicative of one or more of: cumulative volume ofwater to be treated during the predetermined period of time, expectedvolume of water to be treated during the predetermined period of time,volume of treated water provided during the predetermined period oftime, measured parameter of the water to be treated during thepredetermined period of time, and expected value of the parameter of thewater to be treated during the predetermined period of time may be madeavailable to a user of the water to be treated (a customer) or a vendoror service provider responsible for operating or servicing the watertreatment system. This data may be made available, for example, via aweb portal (e.g., web portal 120 of FIG. 1A) and/or transmitted to acentral server remote from the water treatment system (e.g., server 510of FIG. 5). In some embodiments, a schedule for service of the watertreatment system may be determined without input from a user of thetreated water, for example, based on the data provided to the centralserver.

The method of FIG. 6 may be performed for any number of water treatmentunits, for example, a first water treatment unit located at site 1,illustrated in FIG. 5 and a second water treatment unit located at site2 illustrated in FIG. 5, remote from the first water treatment unit.

FIG. 7 illustrates various actions that may be performed responsive todata gathered or calculated in the method of FIG. 6. In the flowchartindicated generally at 700, in act 705, the water treatment system istreating water. During treatment of the water, the water treatmentsystem, or associated monitor(s) or controller (local or remote) maycheck the status of various parameters or conditions of the watertreatment system. Any one or more of these various parameters orconditions may be checked continuously, on a predetermined schedule,sequentially, or concurrently. One condition that may be checked iswhether the system is in need of or will soon be in need of service (act710). To determine if the system is in need of service, a remainingservice life of the system, determined, for example, in act 640 of themethod illustrated in FIG. 6, is compared against a service-initiatinglife of the water treatment unit. If the remaining service life is lessthan a service-initiating life of the water treatment unit, service ofthe water treatment unit may be scheduled (act 715). The water treatmentsystem or associated monitor(s) or controller may also check whether amonitored parameter of the treated water provided by the system, forexample, conductivity, particle level, ORP, or any of the otherparameters described with reference to the ancillary devices of FIG. 1Bor output sensor(s) of FIG. 2 is outside of a desired range (act 720).If the monitored parameter is outside of the desired range, the systemor associated monitor(s) or controller may at least one of: generate analarm, send a notification to a user, or schedule service of the watertreatment unit (acts 715, 725). If the monitored parameter is within thedesired range the water treatment unit may continue treating water,optionally after performing checks of one or more additional conditions.Another parameter that may be checked or monitored by the system orassociated monitor(s) or controller may be pressure across the watertreatment unit (act 730). If the monitored pressure exceeds apredetermined differential pressure unit, the system or associatedmonitor(s) or controller may at least one of: generate an alarm, send anotification to a user, or schedule or initiate service of the watertreatment unit (acts 735, 725). If the pressure across the watertreatment unit is within an acceptable range, the water treatment unitmay continue treating water, optionally after performing checks of oneor more additional conditions. Notification may be any one or more of atext message, e.g., SMS or MMS, email message, a haptic alarm, anaudible alarm, and a visual alarm.

A method of remotely monitoring water treatment units is illustrated inthe flowchart of FIG. 8, indicated generally at 800. Act 805 involvesreceiving at a central server, for example, server 510 of FIG. 5, datafrom a first water treatment unit that produces a first treated waterdelivered to a first facility the central server is disposed remotelyfrom. The data may be representative of at least one of a volume of afirst feedwater to be treated in the first water treatment unit, avolume of the first treated water, and a conductivity of the firstfeedwater, during a first predetermined period.

Act 810, which may be performed concurrently or sequentially with act805, involves receiving at the central server, data from a second watertreatment unit that produces a second treated water delivered to asecond facility that is disposed remotely from the first facility andthat the central server is disposed remotely from. The data may berepresentative of at least one of a volume of a second feedwater to betreated in the second water treatment unit, a volume of the secondtreated water, and a conductivity of the second feedwater, during asecond predetermined period.

In act 815, a first base fee for providing the first treated water overthe first predetermined period is determined based on at least one of anexpected volume of the first feedwater to be treated and an expectedvalue of the conductivity of the first feedwater.

In act 820, a second base fee for providing the second treated waterover the second predetermined period is determined based on at least oneof an expected volume of the second feedwater to be treated and anexpected value of the conductivity of the second feedwater.

In act 825, a first fee adjustment for providing the first treated wateris determined based on the first base fee and a difference between anactual and the expected volume of the first feedwater. The first feeadjustment may further be based on the conductivity of the firstfeedwater during the first predetermined period.

In act 830, second fee adjustment for providing the second treated wateris determined based on the second base fee and a difference between anactual and the expected volume of the second feedwater. The second feeadjustment may be further based on the conductivity of the secondfeedwater during the second predetermined period.

In act 835, a remaining treatment capacity of the first water treatmentunit is determined based at least on at least one of a cumulative volumeof the first feedwater and the conductivity of the first feedwaterdirected through the first water treatment unit.

In act 840, a remaining treatment capacity of the second water treatmentunit based at least on at least one of a cumulative volume of the secondfeedwater and the conductivity of the second feedwater directed throughthe second water treatment unit.

In act 845, a first service requirement for the first water treatmentunit is initiated based on a cumulative volume of the first feedwatertreated in the first treatment unit.

In act 850, a second service requirement for the second water treatmentunit is initiated based on a cumulative volume of the second feedwatertreated in the second treatment unit.

In act 855, a route for a service provider to service the first watertreatment unit and the second water treatment unit is generated based atleast in part on locations of each of the first facility and the secondfacility.

EXAMPLE

Fee adjustments applied to an invoice to a consumer of treated water maybe determined in proportion to the amount of treated water above orbelow the volume that was expected to be provided during a billingperiod, or may be adjusted in a tiered fashion based on the differencebetween actual and expected volume of treated water provided during thebilling period.

In an example of a proportional fee adjustment schedule, if a consumerof treated water was expected to use X gallons of treated water during abilling period, the consumer may receive a fee adjustment credit thatmay be applied to an invoice for the billing period or subsequentbilling period for each gallon less than the expected volume that wasprovided during the billing period. The consumer may receive a feeadjustment charge that may be applied to an invoice for the billingperiod or subsequent billing period for each gallon more than theexpected volume that was provided during the billing period. The amountof the credit provided per gallon below the expected volume providedneed not be the same as the charge per gallon above the expected volumeprovided, although it may be. In some embodiments, consumers of treatedwater may receive a fee adjustment charge for excess treated waterproduction, but may not be entitled to a fee adjustment credit forconsuming less than the expected volume of treated water.

In an example of a tiered fee adjustment schedule, if a consumer oftreated water was expected to use X gallons of treated water during abilling period, the consumer may receive a fee adjustment credit thatmay be applied to an invoice for the billing period or subsequentbilling period if the consumer consumed at least Y gallons less (a firsttier) than the expected volume during the billing period. If theconsumer consumed less than the expected volume but no more than Ygallons less, the consumer would not be entitled to the credit. Anadditional credit may be provided to the consumer if the consumerconsumed at least Z gallons less (a second tier) than the expectedvolume during the billing period, Z>Y. In some embodiments Z may equal2*Y. Additional credits may be provided for additional tiers of waterconsumption below the expected volume. The volume of water correspondingto intervals between each sequential tier may correspond to the samevolume of water (e.g., Z=2*Y), although the intervals between sequentialtiers may correspond to greater or lesser volumes of water. The amountof credit for consuming less water in different sequential tiers may bea multiple of the credit for consuming less water than that associatedwith the first tier. For example, the consumer may receive a credit ofSA for consuming a sufficiently low volume of water to reach the firstcredit tier and 2*A for consuming a sufficiently low volume of water toreach the second credit tier (and 3*A for reaching third credit tier,etc.). In other embodiments, the consumer may receive greater or lessthan a multiple of the credit for consuming less water than thatassociated with the first tier for consuming a sufficiently low volumeof water to reach the second credit tier or further sequential credittiers.

The consumer may receive a fee adjustment charge that may be applied toan invoice for the billing period or subsequent billing period if theconsumer consumed at least N gallons more (a first tier) than theexpected volume during the billing period. If the consumer consumed morethan the expected volume but less than N gallons more, the consumerwould not be charged the fee adjustment charge. An additional charge maybe applied to the consumer's invoice if the consumer consumed at least Mgallons more (a second tier) than the expected volume during the billingperiod, M>N. In some embodiments M may equal 2*N. Additional charges maybe applied for additional tiers of water consumption above the expectedvolume. The volume of water corresponding to intervals between eachsequential tier may correspond to the same volume of water (e.g.,M=2*N), although the intervals between sequential tiers may correspondto greater or lesser volumes of water. The charge for consuming morewater in different sequential tiers may be a multiple of the charge forconsuming more water than that associated with the first tier. Forexample, the consumer may receive a charge of B for consuming asufficiently large volume of water to reach the first fee adjustmentcharge tier and S2*B for consuming a sufficiently large volume of waterto reach the second fee adjustment charge tier (and S3*B for reachingthe third fee adjustment charge tier, etc.). In other embodiments, theconsumer may be charged greater or less than a multiple of the chargefor consuming more water than that associated with the first tier forconsuming a sufficiently large volume of water to reach the second feeadjustment charge tier or further sequential fee adjustment chargetiers.

Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of thisdisclosure, it is to be appreciated various alterations, modifications,and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Suchalterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part ofthis disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope ofthe disclosure. For example, although aspects of the present disclosureare described as used to remove biological floc from wastewater, theseaspects may be equally applicable to the removal of any form ofsuspended solids, for example, inorganic suspended solids or fats, oil,or grease in a settling unit or vessel. Aspects of the wastewatertreatment systems described herein may also use non-biological treatmentmethods rather than biological treatment methods for the treatment ofwastewater. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are byway of example only.

The phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. As used herein, theterm “plurality” refers to two or more items or components. The terms“comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” and“involving,” whether in the written description or the claims and thelike, are open-ended terms, i.e., to mean “including but not limitedto.” Thus, the use of such terms is meant to encompass the items listedthereafter, and equivalents thereof, as well as additional items. Onlythe transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentiallyof,” are closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, withrespect to the claims. Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,”“third,” and the like in the claims to modify a claim element does notby itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claimelement over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method areperformed, but are used merely as labels to distinguish one claimelement having a certain name from another element having a same name(but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for providing treated water, the systemcomprising: a local water treatment unit including: an inlet waterquality probe disposed to measure at least one inlet water parameter offeedwater to be treated, the inlet water quality probe including aconductivity sensor and a temperature sensor, a worker bed having ionexchange media contained therein, and disposed to receive the feedwaterto be treated, a worker probe disposed to measure at least one workerwater parameter of water from the worker bed, the worker probe includinga worker conductivity sensor and a worker temperature sensor, a polisherbed having ion exchange media contained therein, and fluidly connecteddownstream from the worker bed, a polisher probe disposed to measure atleast one polisher water parameter of water from the polisher bed, thepolisher probe including a polisher conductivity sensor and a polishertemperature sensor, a flow meter positioned at least one of upstream ofthe worker bed and downstream of the polisher bed and configured tomeasure flow data of water introduced into the local water treatmentunit, a controller in communication with the flow meter, the inlet waterquality probe, the worker probe, and the polisher probe, the controllerconfigured to receive the flow data from the flow meter, the at leastone measured inlet water parameter from the inlet water quality probe,the at least one worker water parameter from the worker probe, and theat least one polisher water parameter from the polisher probe; and aserver remote from and in communication with the local water treatmentunit, the server configured to receive from the local water treatmentunit, at least one of the flow data, the at least one measured inletwater parameter, the at least one worker water parameter, and the atleast one polisher water parameter, at least one of the controller andthe server further configured to: determine a billing cycle flow totalbased on the flow data during a billing cycle through the local watertreatment unit calculate a difference between the billing cycle flowtotal and a baseline volume of treated water expected to be providedduring the billing cycle; and determine a fee adjustment for providingthe treated water based on the calculated difference between the billingcycle flow total and the baseline volume of treated water expected to beprovided.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a second localwater treatment unit including a second inlet water quality probedisposed to measure at least one inlet water parameter of a secondfeedwater to be treated in the second local water treatment unit, thesecond inlet water quality probe including a second conductivity sensorand a second temperature sensor, a second worker bed having ion exchangemedia contained therein, and disposed to receive the second feedwater tobe treated, a second worker probe disposed to measure at least one waterparameter of water from the second worker bed, the second worker probeincluding a second worker conductivity sensor and a second workertemperature sensor, a second polisher bed having ion exchange mediacontained therein, and fluidly connected downstream from the secondworker bed, a second polisher probe disposed to measure at least onepolisher water parameter of water from the second polisher bed, thesecond polisher probe including a second polisher conductivity sensorand a second polisher temperature sensor, a second flow meter positionedat least one of upstream the second worker bed and downstream of thesecond polisher bed and configured to measure flow data of waterintroduced into the second local water treatment unit; a secondcontroller in communication with the second flow meter, the second inletwater quality probe, the second worker probe, and the second polisherprobe, the second controller configured to receive the flow data fromthe second flow meter, the at least one measured inlet water parameterfrom the second inlet water quality probe, the at least one worker waterparameter from the second worker probe, and the at least one polisherwater parameter from the second polisher probe.
 3. The system of claim2, wherein the second water treatment unit is remote from and incommunication with the server, the server further configured to receivefrom the second local water treatment unit, at least one of the flowdata from the second flow meter, the at least one measured inlet waterparameter from the second inlet water quality probe, the at least oneworker water parameter from the second worker probe, and the at leastone polisher water parameter from the second polisher probe.
 4. Thesystem of claim 3, wherein one of the second controller and the serveris configured to determine at least one of a cumulative flow total ofthe second water treatment unit based on an aggregate of the flow datathrough the water second water treatment unit, a second billing cycleflow total based on the flow data during a second billing cycle throughthe second water treatment unit, a current exchange flow total based onthe flow data during a current service period of the second worker bed,a second contaminant load based on the at least one inlet waterparameter of the second feedwater, and a remaining capacity of thesecond local water treatment unit based at least on the secondcontaminant load.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the local watertreatment unit further includes an inlet pressure sensor disposed tomonitor a pressure of the feedwater to the water treatment unit and anoutlet pressure sensor disposed to monitor a pressure of the treatedwater from the water treatment unit, and wherein the controller isfurther configured to receive inlet pressure data from the inletpressure sensor and outlet pressure data from the outlet pressure sensorand generate an alarm if a difference in the pressure of the feedwaterrelative to the pressure of the treated water is above a differentialpressure setpoint.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the local watertreatment unit further includes a leak detect module disposed to detecta leak or moisture from the water treatment unit, and wherein thecontroller is further configured to generate an indication if the leakdetection module detects moisture.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein thecontroller further comprises a Bluetooth® interface operativelyconfigured to wirelessly transmit data over a personal area network.8.-33. (canceled)
 34. A system for providing treated water, the systemcomprising: a local water treatment unit including: an inlet waterquality probe disposed to measure at least one inlet water parameter offeedwater to be treated, the inlet water quality probe including aconductivity sensor and a temperature sensor configured to provide datautilized to apply an offset or calibration to data output from theconductivity sensor to reduce or eliminate an effect of temperature onthe conductivity sensor readings, a worker bed having ion exchange mediacontained therein, and disposed to receive the feedwater to be treated,a worker probe disposed to measure at least one worker water parameterof water from the worker bed, the worker probe including a workerconductivity sensor and a worker temperature sensor configured toprovide data utilized to apply an offset or calibration to data outputfrom the worker conductivity sensor to reduce or eliminate an effect oftemperature on the worker conductivity sensor readings, a polisher bedhaving ion exchange media contained therein, and fluidly connecteddownstream from the worker bed, a polisher probe disposed to measure atleast one polisher water parameter of water from the polisher bed, thepolisher probe including a polisher conductivity sensor and a polishertemperature sensor configured to provide data utilized to apply anoffset or calibration to data output from the polisher conductivitysensor to reduce or eliminate an effect of temperature on the polisherconductivity sensor readings, a flow meter positioned at least one ofupstream of the worker bed and downstream of the polisher bed andconfigured to measure flow data of water introduced into the local watertreatment unit, and a controller in communication with the flow meter,the inlet water quality probe, the worker probe, and the polisher probe,the controller configured to receive the flow data from the flow meter,the at least one measured inlet water parameter from the inlet waterquality probe, the at least one worker water parameter from the workerprobe, and the at least one polisher water parameter from the polisherprobe; and a server remote from and in communication with the localwater treatment unit, the server configured to receive from the localwater treatment unit, at least one of the flow data, the at least onemeasured inlet water parameter, the at least one worker water parameter,and the at least one polisher water parameter, at least one of thecontroller and the server further configured to: determine a billingcycle flow total based on the flow data during a billing cycle throughthe local water treatment unit; calculate a difference between thebilling cycle flow total and a baseline volume of treated water expectedto be provided during the billing cycle; and determine a fee adjustmentfor providing the treated water based on the calculated differencebetween the billing cycle flow total and the baseline volume of treatedwater expected to be provided.
 35. The system of claim 34, wherein thecontroller is further configured to determine a cumulative volume oftreated water provided by the water treatment unit and determine aremaining service life of at least one of the worker bed and thepolisher bed.
 36. The system of claim 35, wherein the server is furtherconfigured to determine a schedule for servicing the local watertreatment unit based on the determined remaining service life.
 37. Thesystem of claim 35, wherein the controller is further configured tolinearly adjust raw conductivity readings from the inlet waterconductivity sensor for temperatures different from a referencetemperature of 25° C. by a temperature coefficient of 2.0% per degree C.38. The system of claim 35, wherein the controller is further configuredto linearly adjust raw conductivity readings from the workerconductivity sensor for temperatures different from a referencetemperature of 25° C. by a temperature coefficient of 5.2% per degree C.39. The system of claim 35, wherein the controller is further configuredto linearly adjust raw conductivity readings from the polisherconductivity sensor for temperatures different from a referencetemperature of 25° C. by a temperature coefficient of 5.2% per degree C.